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Ageing Well Network – Classic Cars

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Owning classic used cars in NI is not something for everyone. If you are in love with the idea of owning a classic car but you haven’t the clue whether owning one is okay or not, below we have detailed for you pros and cons of owning such a car so that you are able to decide whether to you should become a proud owner of a classic car or not….

The Cons

Owning a classic car is a domain for individuals that truly appreciate and wholly understand the classic car that they own/want to own and are ready to lavish the classic car with care and a great deal of attention.

A majority of classic car owners are faced by huge initial costs as opposed to an individual purchasing a non-classic second had vehicle. Classic car owners are faced with a grander financial outlay to repair any problems their cars might be faced by.

Classic car parts are harder to come by than the more modern car parts and as you will find out that dependent on the kind of classic car that you own, only a percentage of garages are in a position of repairing the classic car for you.

Reliability

As much as a classic car is prone to rust, cars that are older are likely to suffer from serious rust problems. Cars that were made in the mid of the 20th century were made mostly from steel as opposed to modern cars and as well all know, the steel used back then was much more prone to rust.

Alongside the rust, classic cars are a little less reliable due to the many years or wear and tear. That said however, if you are able to find a car that has been taken good care of and you proceed to follow suit, you are in the best placed position to avoid getting into trouble when it comes to reliability.

No Mod-Cons

Classic cars haven’t been fit with mod-cons that are nowadays setup as standard in modern vehicles. Things such as electronic powered windows were not common in many classic car models, so things such as GPS and FM radio in some cars are out of the question in classic cars.

The Pros

The beauty of having a classic car is, these vehicles have style and character. These are cars that stand out of the crowd of modern looking cars and guarantee you a great deal of attention, admiration and envy from bystanders.

Driving Experience

The cars of today are built as an insulation from the outside world thus creating a driving experience that is much more comfortable. However this often leaves the driver isolated from the road. Classic cars on the other hand transmit far much more engine noise, emitting driving smells and vibrations giving the driver a richer driving experience and appreciation of the car.

Financial bonuses

A great financial bonus is classic cars don’t appreciate value in same way new cars do. Classic cars hold their value and if properly taken care of increases in value.

Classic cars have a big fan base in UK and Ireland as they basically offer a great alternative to all those common modern day motors which populate the roads, and to many they also hold a prestigious & nostalgic value. Below are some of the best classic cars:

1966 Shelby-427 Cobra
Any car that’s attached to Carroll-Shelby’s name is instantly worth your time. This car has an insane power to weight ratio, and it is a bit more-giddyup than the Corolla. In addition, the hundreds of thousands-of dollars you would pay for 1 will seem like champ change in comparison to the $ 5.5-million shelled out for ’66 Shelby 427-Cobra Super Snake

1961 Jaguar EType
Doesn’t matter how you pronounce it Jag-u-ar or Jagwar, everyone will agree that this brand oozes uber style. The EType was released back in the year 1961 and was followed by a heavy praise. Enzo Ferrari even referred to this car as, “The most-beautiful car to be ever made.”

1969 Maserati-Ghibli 4.7
The aggressive shark shaped nose on Maserati Ghibli makes it enough for this car to firmly be on this list. In addition, the name Maserati earns it plenty-of clout. We can say, this car’s what Mazda Miata dreams-of becoming when it goes to sleep at night.

1969 Chevrolet-Camaro
It was pretty clear that the list would certainly have to include at least 1 Mustang and 1 Camaro. It is a great old school classic muscle car. The white stripes that are on a blue-Z28 strikes you as quintessentially cool.

1964 Aston Martin-DB5
If it is cool and classic enough for James Bond, it is cool enough for anyone. If you were to pick 1 car which Bond relied on most, you would be hard pressed not to pick with the Aston martin-DB5, and the 1 from Goldfinger movie would certainly look pretty neat in your garage.

1957 Mercedes-300SL Gullwing
The car’s doors are just a part of the main reason why this is 1 of the coolest classic cars to be ever manufactured. The fact that 300SL was one of the fastest production-car at the time, basically means driving to any of your meetings would not be a bore.

1969 Boss 429-Mustang
You know you are getting some real great power when they’ve to change the mustang’s body just to accommodate a freakishly huge engine. You will want to roll-down your windows just to listen to the engine while you are cruising around.

1963 Corvette Sting-Ray
Although nothing was actually wrong with Corvette prior to the ’63, when Sting Ray rolled-out it made all the previous car models look much like chopped livers (fast and still kinda attractive chopped livers). Besides a new-look, the C2-Corvette was much lighter and it handled far much better than the predecessors.

1970 Datsun-240Z
This Jaguar EType’s Asian-doppelgänger has that same beautiful look with perhaps a bit more brains-underneath. The thoughts that went into this car basically became the hallmark-of Japanese sports vehicles.

1969 Ferrari Dino-246 GT
Far much too often vehicles are rigid. The angles and the lines are harsh & unless there is something crazier under the boot, they tend to become a clone of another. The soft lines that are on Ferrari Dino 246-GT tells you that this vehicle is meant to-be driven fast.

1966 Alfa Romeo Spider-Duetto
There is something about this vehicle that makes you just want to drive around the Italian countryside, occasionally stopping to sample the local foods. In addition, any time you get a vehicle with style & storage space, you know you have hit the jackpot. It is perfect for storing the sheets-of paper with mobile/telephone numbers on them.

1969 Dodge-Charger
If there is 1 thing we are sure about the 1969 Charger, is that it is aerodynamic. Well, at least that is what we’ve all learned from Bo & Luke Duke. The 1969 Charger is basically a thing of great beauty. It may not get the billing its’ Mustang counter-parts always get, but the fast back look & style will probably never go out-of fashion.

1962 Ferrari 250-GTE
The Ferrari 250-GTE was basically the sports vehicle for a family man. As Road and Track once said, “It’s not only a grand car, but a glorious touring-car.” It is one of the most desirable used cars in Belfast.

1966 Lamborghini-Miura
We do not know if it is the most stylish vehicle on this list, but as-far-as credit goes, it inspired the “Let has toss a couple-of seats on the rocket” sports-car idea. It became a new & different Italian sports vehicle option outside the Ferrari’s for all auto-enthusiasts at the time.

1969 Toyota 2000-GT
If you are noticing kind of a small James Bond-theme here, you are totally right. While James Bond-got a drop top, the 1969 Toyota 2000-GT was stylish-enough without 1 being offered from factory. The much elongated front, alongside the design, makes this car feel much a lot like an Italian-roadster rather than something you’d picture buying for its’ highly dependable gas mileage.

To find a great selection of classic used cars please visit www.everything motoring.com

It is necessary to maintain your car as much as possible so as to keep it in the best shape possible. Proper maintenance of the car prolongs the life of it and also avoids major repairs which might be very expensive. Therefore, it is good to be aware of some of the maintenance tips that you should always use. The following are some of the classic car maintenance tips.

Scheduled maintenance

When a car is being driven, the internal parts of the engine start to wear out as well as breaking down. This is mostly due to the oil. The motor oil is responsible to lubricate the metal parts in the engine. Oil allows the friction to occur in the engine without much heat. It is therefore important to check the oil levels and replace it with time. If the oil level is below the required one, you should top up. Topping up the oil is a bit simple compared to draining oil out. This is because draining oil is very technical.

You can also get a tune-up which will help in prolonging your car’s life. A tune-up is simply a process whereby a mechanic checks the engine and replaces some parts if need be. After the check-up, he gets to know what need to be replaced. A serious damage may occur if the worn out parts have not been replaced. The tune-ups should occur after every 15000 miles so as to prevent the expensive repairs that may occur in future.

Routine check-ups

In addition to the routine maintenance which your used cars must undergo, you must also show diligence by replacing the car parts which are in need of replacement or are visibly worn out. The windshield wiper blades and tires are two items which you can replace by yourself. You should also check the belts frequently to always ensure that they are in good working condition. It is good to always be proactive with the preventive measures since a major engine repair can cost you a lot of dollars. You should also check the brakes with time since they also wear out. The need to check brakes increases with not only the mileage, but also the time and the driving habits you have.

Oiling tips

Once you have topped up the oil, you should wait for it to settle. This can take about ten minutes for it to settle. When topping up, ensure that you have reached the required level exactly without exceeding. If you happen to exceed, you can remove the excess oil by draining the excess oil. You should ensure that you have purchased oil of high quality that will enable a smooth driving. However, you have to follow the instructions on the label of the oil can before using. Lastly, you need to remove the old spark plugs that may not be working properly.

Other maintenance tips include

Replacing the air filter and if the vehicle is fitted with a DPF, ensure it is fully operational.